1 / 1Renuka Mathur (foreground) and others perform a dance usually performed during the Hindu spring festival 'Holi'. Mathur is dressed in traditional Rajasthan attire, her original home state in India. Several cultures gathered at the Centennial Public Library on Monday for celebration of Multiculturalism Day. Photo by Jeff Klassen for SooToday

The Sault’s cultural diversity was on display at the Centennial Public Library on Monday at a local celebration of Multiculturalism Day.

Arabic, Argentinian, Finnish, German, Italian, Japanese, Métis, Mexican, and Pakistani cultures were among those that put on cultural demonstrations or participated in activities.

“This was a free community event and we just tried to get as many groups and performances as we could. Our goal was to get people mingling and interacting so that they could learn about each other's cultures,” said Helena Huopalainen, the library’s Manager of Community Engagement and the event’s resident Finnish Sauna expert.

The free activities and offerings included a barbecue, a ‘human library’, origami, sombrero and boomerang making crafts, world art displays, poetry and storytelling, dance performances, henna tattoos, awards, and more.

The event was put on by the Sault Ste. Marie Local Immigration Partnership, the Centennial Library, the Art Gallery of Algoma, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, New Beginnings Interdenominational Refugee Sponsorship Group, and the Sault Community Career Centre.

Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines.